Messenger call box



July 8, 1930.

G. W. JANSON MESSENGER CALL Box Original Filed Aug. 20. 1926 f am Q m m: m

Suventor ummgum/3;.

Gttorneg Original application ,filed August 20,1926, Serial No. 130,528. Patent No. 1,704,389.

Patented July 8, 1930 i GEORGE w."JAN'sor -oE'NurLEY, N W JERSEY, ASSIGNOR To rr'nE'WEsTEnN UNION TELEGRAPH .QOMBANY, OF NEW YORK,

N; Y; A coaronarioN or NEW YORK MESSENGER oALn Box application filed May 17,

. This invention relates to' messenger call boxes such as are employed in the well known McCulloh call system. .Such'call boxes are commonly provided a with *double" break wheels,'to othed according to the number or signal to be transmitted by the box, and with contact pens adapted to be actuated by'such break wheels,,double break wheels and corresponding pens being providedin order that I thejbox may operate. both a metallic return circuit and a ground return circuit, as shown for example, in the patent to M. XV, Hamblin No. 808,451

This type of box, which is now in general I use is disclosed in Patent No. 1,164,069, grantedito A; Clokey,,Decembe r 14, 1929'. It may be briefiydescribed as having a base on which the working mechanism is mounted, three posts being provided atone endof the base for the connection of two line wires and aground wire. The working mechanism is provided with a cover or casing leaving the posts exposed.

This arrangement is'open to serious objec-j tions since the exposed postsofier convenient pegs on which to hang objects of :various sorts, such as ladies purses and the like. Naturally, it the ob ect be of such nature that a ,the part engaging the posts is ofconductive nature a short circuit is formed so that no signal can besent from the box. Agaiminod ern practice employscurrents of quite high voltage so that a person touching two of the posts at the same time is quiteapt toireceive a shock which, if not dangerous, it at least un pleasant. Also the exposed position of these posts permits of mischievous tampering by connecting two of the posts with a wire.

With these difficulties in niind the principal objects of the present invention include the provision of an improved call box wherein'the' construction of the base and cover is such that the connecting posts are housed beneath the cover while provision is made for the application of inents.

the usual testing instru- In the accompanying drawings-like characters of reference areused throughout, and:

' Figure l is a plan view of the improved 1928.; Serial No. 278,515".

section.

boxwiththe cover broken away in Divided and this 7 Figure 2 side elevation partly section V of said box.

Figure 3 is an enlarged-detail section on the lin'eB-B of Figure 1-.. Figure & isan enlarged detail section on theline 4,-4; of Figural. V V

Figureb is a perspective viewof one ofthe terminal plates usedherewith. v g Ashere. shownth'eref'is-provided a base .10 of the usual elliptical shape,- thisbasebeing molded from porcelain or other suitable in sulating material. On the face of thisbase at the upper end there. is provided a raised portion 11, and at the lower end a larger raised portion 1 2 so that a well 13 is left be tween these portions whereinfis seated the- .Working mechanism indicated in general at 14. Inasmuch as the Working mechanism is of the general type now used the specific de-.

tails are not necessary to be described and only thoseparts will be particularly referred I .to which enter into the present invention.

At the sides of the well there is provided'a raised'fiange 15, the end surfaces of theraised portions .and v the v outer surfaces of these flanges'form'ing, in plan, an ellipse on which is fitted the top or cover 16 which thus covers the'entire base except for a narrow rim projecting evenly all around from beneath the cover. At-theI-upperend of the base thereis provided on its under surface a small recess 17 "from which extends a screw receiving passage opening through the top of the base. Through this passage extends a screw* 19 which projects through the base and carries a post 20 on which the top of the cover rests. Atthe lower end of the base a much larger irregularly shaped recess 21 is formed in the underside and from this. recess also extends anopening; receiving'a screw 22 which pro-; jects like the screw.19 and, like it,'carries a post; 23 on which the topof the cover rests. These posts are provided'with threaded open j ings to receive screW s24 holding the .cover removably in position. -;A binding screw 25 is screwed into the lowerside of this post 23 for connectionot the ground wire 26 so that the post not only holds the cover but also actsas eral openings at? the ground post and performs the function of the exposed ground post in the present form of call box. The screw 22 is connected by a wire 27 with the grounded contact pen (not shown) of the mechanism, the wire passing through an opening 29 leading from the recess 21 to the well 13. At each side of the post 23 an opening 30 extends downwardly through the raised end 12 to the recess 21. Positioned on the face of the raisedportion12 is a pair of terminal plates 31 having fingers 32 which extend into the recess 21 throughv the openings 30. These plates have the line wires secured thereto by binding screws Set and these wires and the ground wire 26 pass into a recess 35 formed in the lower part 01" the portion 12 and thence through an opening 35 and downwardly through a slot 36, open ing through the rear face of the base at the bottom thereof. The fingers 32 have lead wires soldered to them and one wire 37 passes up through the opening 29 and is connected to the contact pen (not shown). The other of these wires 39 leads to one 01": the frame screws 40. the lower end of which projects into the recess 21. Thus, with the cover in place, the ground post 23 and; terminals 34t are enclosed and inaccessible to tampering unless the cover be deliberately removed,

In order to provide testing contacts without removing the cover, the terminal plates 31 are held in position by screws 41, the heads of which hold contact members 42. These eontaets .pass out of the recess 21 through lat and terminate in small channels 4a formed in the sides or" the base. The contacts 42 may thus be touched by testing instrument terminals inserted in these channels but the contacts are so housed that they cannot be touched with a persons fingers. It will be seen in Figure l that tne recesses 44 each have an inner wall alined with a side wall the recess 21 so that no drilling or coring is necessary to form the opening at?) and the base block can be molded in a simple two part mold. Thus the terminals for the line and ground wires are housed without interfering with the application of testing instruments. V

This application is a division ofmy appli cation Serial No. 130,528, filed August 20, 1926, now Patent No. 1,704,389.

I claim:

1. In a call box, a base, cover carried by the base ad'acent its ends, said posts cosntitut-ing a ground wire minai and having means for attaching ground wire, line wire terminals adjacent'the ground wire terminal, a cover for said base enclosingsaid terminals and secured to the posts exposed channels in said base and contact members connected to the line wire terminals and extending into said channels.

2. call box, comprisinga molded base having a recess in its rear face, and lateral channels in its perimeter, each of said channels having an inner wall alined with a side wall of the recess, thereby forming an opening from the channel to the recess, a line terminal extending into said recess, means for attaching a line conductor to said terminal and a contact member independent of said line conductor connected to the line terminal and extendingthrough said opening.

3. In a callbox, abase, cover securing posts carried by the base adjacent its ends, one of said posts constituting a ground wire tenninal and having means for attaching a ground wire, line wire terminals adjacent the ground wire terminal, a cover for said base enclosing said terminals and secured to the posts, and testing contacts projecting from beneath the cover, and connected to the line wire terminals, said base having outwardly opening recesses into which said contacts project.

1. In a call box, a base havinga recess in its rear face, a ground terminal on said base, line terminals on said base cover for said base enclosing said terminals, screw extending through the base from said recesses to secure the line terminals to the base, and testing contactssecured' beneath the heads of said screws and projecting laterally from said recess, sald base having lateral channels wherein said contacts terminate communicating with said recess.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE w. J'an'son; 

